Island Creek Oyster Bar

Boston restaurants by cuisine

Restaurants

The best Chinese food in Boston

With the third largest Chinatown in the country, it stands to reason Downtown Boston yields plenty of authentic Chinese food and cult hole-in-the-wall dumpling spots. But there are also exceptional eateries serving top-notch noodles, dim sum and diverse regional fare all over Boston, Cambridge and suburban areas. Chinese restaurants are a great late-night dining option in a city that shuts down early—and some of them even double as nightclubs!

The best burgers in Boston

The 21st-century burger boom shows no sign of abating and in most U.S. cities, opinions run high on who makes the best burgers (closely followed by the perennial best pizza debate). Many of the best Boston restaurants, including the excellent Craigie on Main in Central Square have a signature version on the menu, but cheap-eats aficionados love Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, a Cambridge fast food legend since the 1960s.RECOMMENDED: See the best Boston restaurants by cuisine

The best vegetarian restaurants in Boston

Read our essential guide to Boston's best vegetarian and vegan restaurants—with insider tips and recommendations, written by local experts. From long-established downtown joints such as My Thai to ever-shifting food trucks like Harvard Square's Clover Food Lab, Time Out editors' pick of the best Boston restaurants for veggies and vegans.RECOMMENDED: See the best Boston restaurants by cuisine

The best pizza in Boston

It’s a subject as hot as a wood-fired oven: Who bakes the best pizza? Boston has countless no-frills places serving deliciously greasy slices, and many of the best Boston restaurants offer twists on the perennial favorite (and not just Italian restaurants). RECOMMENDED: See the best Boston restaurants by cuisine

The best sushi in Boston

Craving sushi? Boston has an array of excellent Japanese restaurants and sushi joints—some of which made it into our list of the best Boston restaurants. Snappy Sushi on Newbury Street is our pick for a quick lunch break during a Back Bay shopping spree, while upscale Oishii in the South End is known for its authentic omakase.RECOMMENDED: See the best Boston restaurants by cuisine

The best ice cream in Boston

Boston has been a hotbed of ice cream innovation since the ’70s when Steve Herrell began mixing Oreo shards into freshly churned batches in his (defunct) Somerville shop. Emack & Bolio’s soon followed, joined in the early ’80s by the first J.P. Licks in Jamaica Plain. Follow the lead of some top Boston restaurants and get your frozen fix at these exceptional ice cream shops. Go for two scoops—you can always hit the gym afterwards.RECOMMENDED: See the best Boston restaurants by cuisine